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What could be more shocking from a once-radical
group of Marxist punks than an album of bubblegum rock? Under the slick
production eye of Rick Rubin, The (International) Noise Conspiracy—a band
that once wrote songs with titles like "Capitalism Stole My Virginity" and "Abolish
Work"—is now singing of optimism, relationships, and Beverly Hills. The Cross Of My Calling lacks the '60s- and
'70s-inspired garage and soul influences—not to mention the DIY
feel—that made its early albums engaging, which means that it's best to
approach it like a late-'70s Kinks disc: Forget what the band has done in the
past, and focus on the product at hand. Sure, "Boredom Of Safety" sounds a bit
like an '80s power ballad, but it's also passionate, bittersweet, and catchy.
And "Hiroshima Mon Amour" is so laughably, blatantly radio-friendly that it's
an easy guilty pleasure. There are unexpected gems hidden here.